Tag Archive for: marriage

Tough Conversations & Relationship Transitions

LOVE IN A TIME OF CRISIS

This week on Dates & Mates, we go deeper into communicating what you need in a partner during tough transitions in your life. Many of us have been in a situation where there’s something you want to communicate but it’s a scary conversation. We dedicated this to making these scary conversations a little less daunting with married dating and relationship coaches Laurie Davis Edwards and Thomas Edwards. Here’s the rundown:

D’S DATING DISH (3:11)

Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx’s red carpet relationship debut (Finally!!)

The two have been rumored to be dating since 2013. Why did they wait until now to debut their relationship publically? Laurie, Thomas, and Damona have thoughts.

What do you do if you see a co-worker on a dating app?

Business Insider explains what to do if you find a co-worker on a dating app. Damona breaks it down.

Do you believe in soulmates?

According to a 2013 poll by Marist college, 73% of Americans believe soul mates exist. Are you one of them? Interestingly enough, Laurie and Thomas have conflicting viewpoints on this.

TOUGH TRANSITIONS (14:00)

Have you ever had to have a tough conversation with a partner, but didn’t know how? Enter Thomas Edwards and Laurie Davis Edwards, who have recently had this same problem. Last year, they underwent a tough transition in their marriage. You may know them individually as successful dating, relationship, and lifestyle coaches.

Thomas helps professional men find the life they are meant to live in four key areas – Love, Lifestyle, Leadership and Legacy. His wife, Laurie Davis Edwards is the founder of The Worthy One, a coaching company that empowers women to fall in love with themselves and their soulmate.

Right after the birth of their daughter, Thomas and Laurie experienced intense personal transitions. From experience, I can tell you that a newborn baby is a HUGE transition. On top of this, Thomas and Laurie were already going through personal and professional transitions that put strains on their relationship.

“I was going through an identity crisis,” he explains. “I suffered a lot of trauma from the realization that I’m going to be a father. What I experienced was actually grief around the death of my identity.”

At the same time, Laurie was dealing with trauma of her own. “My transition was more about being the one who has to hold it all together,” she says. As she dealt with the pressures of being a new mom, she also tried to keep her relationship from falling apart.

Laurie opens up about reaching a breaking point and gathering up the courage to be honest with Thomas about how their relationship wasn’t working.

They open up about things like:

  • Meeting through Twitter
  • Long Distance Relationships
  • Moving across country together
  • How a baby changes your relationship
  • Where did problems arrive
  • How to have tough conversations with your partner
  • And so much more!

Be prepared because this conversation gets DEEP!

TECHNICALLY DATING (44:15)

Submit your questions Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and hear our answers live on the show! Here’s what our listeners asked about this week:

  • how to be confident while dating outside your race
  • How relevant do you think astrology is to compatibility?
  • What do modern women want?

GETTING GLAMMED UP FOR A DATE?

Have a hot date this weekend or another event that you want to glam it up for? Let Glamsquad help you out with Damona’s code! If you’re new to Glamsquad you can get $20 off your first service with my special code Damona20.

Marriage Boot Camp & Bad Advice

FIND LOVE IN THE AGE OF BAD ADVICE

Dating culture is changing rapidly. A lot of the advice our parents gave us starting out no longer applies in the dating climate today. So how do you know what dating tips still apply to you now?

Enter Dr. V. You may know her as the host of WeTV’s Marriage Boot Camp, but she’s also a PhD in Clinical Psychology, a renowned media personality, and now the bestselling author of “Bad Advice: How to Survive and Thrive in an Age of Bullshit”. She literally wrote the book on sorting through good and bad advice, people!

Here’s the rundown:

D’S DATING DISH (2:45)

Facebook wants to know your secret crushes

Facebook dating is coming to the US! Is this the future of dating? Damona thinks so. 

The scientific way to get a first date

A Princeton study reveals the conversation topic that is guaranteed to get you a first date. Damona and Dr. V break it down.

Charlize is single and ready to mingle

Charlize Theron is a hot, single mom ready to find love. What can you learn from Charlize’s love journey? Damona and Dr. V have thoughts.

BAD ADVICE (18:03)

Dr. V and Damona go through all of the most popular dating advice out there today. First up: If you want to get a man, you need to play hard to get.

This is the WORST advice!

“We have deceived ourselves into believing that the person who cares less wins,” she says. “I’m here to tell you that the person who cares less gets less.”

Dr V is so right! Both women and men are conditioned to make it seem like they aren’t trying to make an impression. We don’t want others to judge us for trying too hard.

Bottom Line: There’s a difference between trying and trying too hard. But if you don’t try at all, you won’t get the outcome in love that you are looking for.

“Lean into love! Because if you care more, you get more,” says Dr. V.

Today’s dating culture is trending toward authenticity and honesty. Lead with your real, authentic self and you are sure to find the love you’re looking for.

Dr. V sets us straight on common advice like:

  • NEVER Text First
  • You can’t love anyone until you love yourself
  • Be upfront about what you want on a first date
  • And so much more!

This is essentially the Dates & Mates version of Dating Bootcamp. As Dr. V always says –

TECHNICALLY DATING (36:00)

Submit your questions Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and hear our answers live on the show! Here’s what our listeners asked about this week:

  • Is he interested or is he bad at texting?
  • Should you wait for him to text back?
  • What do modern women want?
  • How long should you be with someone before they introduce you to their family?

GETTING GLAMMED UP FOR A DATE?

Have a hot date this weekend or another event that you want to glam it up for? Let Glamsquad help you out with Damona’s code! If you’re new to Glamsquad you can get $20 off your first service with my special code Damona20.

The Marriage Minded Man & Fatherly Advice

What can a MARRIED MAN teach you about DATING?

In honor of her 12th wedding anniversary, Damona sits down with a panel of married guys to understand how marriage-minded men find the one and which factors could be keeping people from finding a dream partnership. Here’s the rundown:

D’S DATING DISH (5:09)

Congrats Issa Rae!

Issa Rae’s co-stars have confirmed that she is engaged! She has kept this relationship super under wraps for several reasons. As a celebrity, should she get to pick and choose what aspects of her life she keeps private? Damona has thoughts.

What makes a good match in 2019

Data shows that women have much different expectations of their future husbands than they did in the 1930s. Damona and her father break it down.

How Your High School Friendships Affect Your Relationship

A new study shows that having close, platonic friendships in your teenage years actually impacts how your love life will play out in your late twenties. Damona breaks it down.

THE MIND OF MARRIAGE-MINDED MEN (13:22)

If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, you already know that Damona’s husband Seth’s goal was marriage from the beginning (it only took him 3.5 years to convince her.)

Many of Damona’s single female clients seem to have the impression that most men would play the field forever if they could yet her single male clients have shown that there are a lot of men like Seth whose ultimate goal is to marry, have a family, and be monogamous. Damona’s anniversary got her thinking:

What can single men and women learn from marriage-minded men?

Damona is joined by a very special guest, HER DAD! Dr. Resnick dishes some great fatherly advice about marriage and relationships. Also joining Damona on this panel are two happily married men: content creator Simeon Weinraub and internationally-known comedian Raj Sharma, who share what they learned in singlehood, partnerships, and now marriage.

We talked about A LOT:

  • What marriage-minded men keep on their list
  • The elements of a successful relationship
  • Why are we still divorcing at a 50% rate?
  • Does love at first sight exist?
  • Putting in the work in a relationship to make it work
  • Why you shouldn’t keep a safety net
  • Are relationships work?
  • Anticipating your spouse’s needs and building together
  • STOP going for the Bad Boy
  • And so much more!

TECHNICALLY DATING (39:00)

Submit your questions Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook and hear our answers live on the show! Here’s what our listeners asked about this week:

  • What happens when you lose a loving relationship because of a dating app addiction?
  • How to sort matches when you’re dating with a disability

HATE GYMS?

Damona always says that working out has greatly improved her relationship with her body. Begin a program with BeachBody on demand! Just go to DatesandMates.com and click the Beach Body Banner to get started.

Super Mamas & Relationship Standards

Super Mamas Podcast host Paulina Lopez and guest co-host psychotherapist Rhonda Richards-Smith join Damona to discuss how moms can still be sexy to their husbands. Rhonda takes on the headlines including: How dating apps have affected the rate of STDs, Aziz Ansari’s comedy in the #MeToo era, and how your relationship standards change once you’re couple up. Questions from listeners include: how to avoid strange requests on dating apps, should you see your ex again, and is it ok for your man to DM an instagram model?

 

D’S DATING DISH (4:21)

Dating apps blamed for rise in STDs

STDs are on the rise, with five times as many cases seen in the past four months when compared with the same time period last year. Apps such as Tinder and Bumble are facing blame, with syphilis being the STD increasing the most rapidly. You can read more via NY Post here.

Aziz Ansari returns to standup with dating routine

Both Aziz Ansari and Louis C.K. returned to standup this week after being implicated in the #MeToo movement. Ansari avoided mention of the accusations against him, despite the fact the set was structured around dating. Is this tasteless? Can he make a comeback? You can read more via NME here.

How your relationship standards change

A new study proves that your relationship expectations change before and after you enter a relationship. It proved that those who took the survey while in a relationship ranked their current partner closer to their ideal than those who took the survey single and entered into a relationship a few months later. You can read more via Bustle here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (38:35)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App, including:

  • How to avoid strange messages on dating apps
  • If it’s OK to see your ex again

And many more . . .

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Breaking Up & Bouncing Back

Our guest co-host this week was Samantha Burns, the Millennial Love Expert. She discussed strategies from her upcoming book, Breaking Up & Bouncing Back, for overcoming the loss of a relationship and learning to love again.

 

D’S DATING DISH (2:16)

A Bustle study on the most frustrating parts of being single

Female Bustle readers aged 18 to 35 were asked about love and the biggest frustrations related to their relationship status. With surprising data on everything from what single women are focused on to how often they go on dates, you can read more via Bustle here.

How marriage changes your personality

A new study asked married couples about personality changes during the first 18 months of marriage. Asking about extraversion, openness to experience, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism, you can read about the results via Huffington Post here.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas?

Though nobody thought to see this one coming, it would appear as if the Bollywood and boy band stars have a spark flying between them. You can read more via Channel News Asia here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (29:46)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and those emailed to Damona, including:

  • What to do if you keep getting requests for full body pictures
  • How to handle a crush on someone who is taken
  • What to do if you and your significant other don’t click via text

And many more . . .

DAMONA’S DIATRIBE (45:49)

Damona has a lot of steam to blow off, and up this week in the crosshairs are those who continually ask why they’re single without doing anything to change . . .

Sexperts & Date Expectations

Our guest co-hosts this week were Tyomi Morgan-Najieb and Naim Najieb. Tyomi and Naim are life partners that work together to help couples with sex and love. Tyomi is an International Pleasure Coach and sexpert that aims to represent people of color in mainstream sexuality. Meanwhile, Naim is a love educator, entrepreneur, and author of the book Love Is Not a Game: A Manual for Loving Relationships.

 

D’S DATING DISH (2:19)

Dating app uses a team of moms to help its users with love

The dating app Inner Circle allows its users to get advice from a customer support team consisting of six moms, all of whom are married with children and believe that they’ve “conquered the dating game.” Users must be vetted by the team after analyzing social media profiles, but once you’re in, the moms will console you after breakups, give personalized tips on how to get more responses, and much more. You can read more via Mashable here.

Can you pick a partner based on voice?

A new app, Waving, has you swipe left and right based on a voice message. Men with lower voices and women with higher voices are typically found more attractive, but experts say that varying the tone of your voice is the most important. Nevertheless, some are skeptical that you can find love without an initial visual element. You can read more via Independent here.

Posture affects your results on dating apps

According to a Princeton study, expansive posture increases your success on dating apps. These kinds of stances suggest dominance and openness, which are seen as attractive. So for an easy boost in results, unfold those arms! You can read more via Independent here.

Vanessa Trump’s dating past

Vanessa Trump, soon to be Vanessa Hayden once the ink is dry on her divorce from Donald Trump Jr., was once attached to a Hollywood heartthrob. Sleuths have uncovered the fact that Vanessa was Leonardo DiCaprio’s beau in 1998 during the time Titanic came out. Though the publicist officially denied it at the time, several photos show them getting very cozy. You can read more via Elite Daily here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (34:42)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and BlackPeopleMeet.com, including:

  • What to do if the guy you just had sex with got back together with his girlfriend
  • How to feel about pets in the room while you’re having sex
  • What to do if you’re in it for love but he’s in it for sex

And many more . . .

DATING DOT DOT DOT (45:45)

We asked Tyomi and Naim for their lightning fast love advice in an installment of Dating Dot Dot Dot:

  • Who pays on a date?
  • Is it acceptable for a woman to be the breadwinner in a relationship?
  • Is it OK for a woman to propose?

Love at First Sight & Chemistry Conundrum

Our guest co-host this week was Ryeal Simms. A cognitive neuropsychologist, behaviorist, motivational speaker, and the worldwide authority on the neuroscience of relationships, Ryeal and his work have appeared on everything from Stevie Wonder’s Hollywood radio station, to the U.K.’s Real Love Show, to Essence Magazine, to NPR. Currently writing his book series on the neuroscience of relationships, Ryeal gave us some cold, hard science in his discussion of the chemistry of love.

D’S DATING DISH (16:53)

Chinese dating apps shut down in sexbot scam

Over 21 dating apps were shut down across 13 provinces in China after it was revealed that messages from women were being generated by computer programs. Technical personnel working for the apps would create “sexy girl” programs and have them lure new users into spending money on gifts and raunchy images. However, even the authorities were blown away by how real the messages felt, which explains why they were able to scam users out of $154 million! You can read more via BBC here.

Would you take advice from your Amazon Echo?

From January 14th until Valentine’s Day, Amazon Echo’s virtual assistant, Alexa, will offer dating advice to those who ask in a partnership with matchmaking company Three Day Rule. However, some users are worried, as Alexa won’t have any practical grasp on tips it gives. For example, if it tells you to talk to a minimum of three women at a bar, how can it advise you on how to read their body language, consent, etc? You can read more to see if you’d take dating advice from a virtual assistant via The Verge here.

The first celebrity split of 2018

Last week we reported on the first celebrity couple to get together, but alas, the five-year journey that GIRLS star Lena Dunham and singer/songwriter Jack Antonoff went on is over. The split is amicable, but we’ll be sad to see the couple leave the news cycle. However, the writing may have been on the wall . . . back in November of 2017, Dunham thought Antonoff was going to propose, only to be sorely mistaken. You can read more via ET here.

TECHNICALLY DATING (31:48)

We pull the best questions posted on The Textpert App and BlackPeopleMeet.com, including:

  • Why you haven’t met your boyfriend’s parents
  • How early in a relationship it’s appropriate to bicker
  • If nude pictures of an ex constitutes cheating

And many more . . .

DATING DOT DOT DOT (49:31)

We got Ryeal’s lightning-fast love advice in another rapid-fire rendition of Dating Dot Dot Dot, this time with new questions!

The worst pickup line ever is ________
The best place to go on a first date is ________
The sexiest thing about a woman is __________
The sexiest thing about a man is _________
The most important thing for a relationship to last is __________

Don’t forget to register for Damona’s women’s group program, DATE BY NUMBERS. All you have to do is head to DATE BY NUMBERS . COM.